A $36,000 Graphical Workstation from 1993 | SGI Indigo 2

Summary

This video script details the journey of acquiring an SGI Indigo 2, a high-end graphical workstation from 1993, renowned for its role in the creation of iconic movies and gaming systems like the Nintendo 64. The narrator explores the machine's technical specifications, including its Myricom SN adapter for compatibility with modern monitors, and delves into the user experience of the IRIX operating system. The script also highlights the workstation's capabilities in rendering and running demos, showcasing its legacy in computer graphics and its enduring appeal to tech enthusiasts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Silicon Graphics Computer Systems (SGI) was a California tech company founded in 1981, specializing in graphical computing.
• 🎨 SGI's first product was a terminal with advanced graphical capabilities, and they later produced Unix workstations like the Iris, Crimson, and Indigo series.
• 🎬 SGI's technology played a crucial role in the creation of movies such as Jurassic Park, The Abyss, Toy Story, and Shrek.
• 🎮 SGI provided graphics hardware for the Nintendo Ultra 64, which evolved into the Nintendo 64, and contributed to its development.
• 🖥️ The SGI Indigo 2, released in 1993, was a high-end graphical workstation and a sequel to the 1991 SGI Indigo.
• 🔢 There were multiple versions of the SGI Indigo 2, including the IP22, IP26, and IP28, with the latter being the highest specification model.
• 💾 The IP28 model could support up to a gigabyte of RAM, which was extraordinary for the time when it was released in 1995.
• 🔌 The SGI Indigo 2 featured a unique 13W3 connector for monitors, requiring a sync-on-green signal, not compatible with standard monitors.
• 🔧 The speaker describes using a 13W3 cable with customizable dip switches and a sync adapter to connect the Indigo 2 to a regular VGA monitor.
• 🖥️ The speaker's Indigo 2 is a teal IP22 from 1993, equipped with a Myricom SN system, a MyriPS R4400 CPU at 200 MHz, and 128 MB of RAM.
• 🕹️ The GR3 Alon graphics subsystem in the Indigo 2 had a double stack board configuration and could output resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 at 72 Hz.
• 🎶 The A2 audio processor in the Indigo 2 provided high-quality audio with a 48 kHz sample rate and an internal speaker.
• 📺 The Indigo 2 ran IRIX, a Unix-based operating system tailored for SGI workstations, known for its user-friendly interface and compatibility with standard Unix tools.

Q & A

What was Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, also known as SGI, mainly known for?

SGI was mainly known for specializing in graphical computing and producing high-end graphical workstations and Unix workstations.

What was the significance of SGI's technology in the film industry?

SGI's technology was crucial in the creation of visual effects for movies like Jurassic Park, The Abyss, Toy Story, and Shrek, which might not have been the same without it.

Which gaming console did SGI provide graphics hardware for?

SGI provided the graphics hardware for the Nintendo Ultra 64, which later became the Nintendo 64.

What is the SGI Indigo 2 and why was it significant in 1993?

The SGI Indigo 2 is a high-end graphical workstation released in 1993, significant for its advanced graphical capabilities and for being a sequel to the highly regarded 1991 SGI Indigo.

What are the different versions of the SGI Indigo 2 mentioned in the script?

The different versions of the SGI Indigo 2 mentioned are the IP22, IP26, and IP28, with the IP28 having the highest specifications, including an option for SGI's Impact graphics and a MyIP R 10,000 CPU.

What is the Challenge M and how does it differ from other SGI Indigo 2 models?

The Challenge M is essentially an Indigo 2 without a graphics option installed, essentially acting like a desktop server, making it different from other models that come with advanced graphics capabilities.

What is the technical specification of the SGI Indigo 2 model featured in the script?

The featured SGI Indigo 2 is a teal IP22 from 1993, equipped with a MyIPs R4400 at 200 MHz, an R410 floating-point chip, 128 MB of RAM, and Express Graphics with the GR3 Alon GPU.

What is the GR3 Alon and how does it function in the SGI Indigo 2?

The GR3 Alon is a high-end pre-Impact GPU with a double stack board configuration, consisting of a VB2 board for external connectors and I/O, and a GR3 board with the HQ2 command engine, two GE7 geometry engines, and the RE3 raster engine.

What is the A2 audio processor in the SGI Indigo 2 and what does it do?

The A2 audio processor is a component in the SGI Indigo 2 that has two combined 16-bit DACs and ADCs capable of reproducing 48 kHz audio, providing high-quality sound output.

What is the SynOnGreen and why is it significant for using the SGI Indigo 2 with a monitor?

SynOnGreen is a signal configuration where the green signal in a component video signal also carries the sync signal for the monitor. It is significant because it requires specific monitors or adapters to use the SGI Indigo 2 with standard VGA monitors.

What is the operating system used by most SGI workstations and what is unique about it?

Most SGI workstations run IRIX, a version of Unix based on System 5 Unix with BSD extensions, which is designed to work well with SGI hardware and offers a user-friendly interface.

What is the significance of the FSN or Fusion demo in the context of the SGI Indigo 2?

The FSN or Fusion demo is a 3D file manager demo that was used to showcase the capabilities of SGI workstations. It is significant because it was used as inspiration for the menu in the game Super Mario 64 and represents a unique approach to file management.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Silicon Graphics and the Impact of SGI Indigo 2

This paragraph discusses the history and significance of Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI), a California-based tech company founded in 1981 known for its graphical computing systems. The company's early products included graphical terminals and later, high-end Unix workstations such as the Iris series, which played a pivotal role in the creation of iconic movies like Jurassic Park. The paragraph also introduces the SGI Indigo 2, a high-end graphical workstation from 1993, and its various models, including the IP22, IP26, and the high-spec IP28 with its impressive capabilities like supporting up to a gigabyte of RAM. The speaker expresses a personal interest in SGI's technology and shares the story of acquiring an Indigo 2, detailing its technical specifications, including the MyIPs R4400 CPU, 128 MB of RAM, and the GR3 Alon graphics subsystem.

05:00

🔌 Adapting SGI Indigo 2 for Modern Use

The speaker elaborates on the technical challenges and solutions for using the SGI Indigo 2 with modern equipment. They describe the process of adapting the system's unique 13W3 connector and synct green signal to work with a standard VGA monitor using a custom 13W3 cable with dip switches and a sync-on-green adapter. The paragraph includes a personal anecdote of setting up the Indigo 2 for the first time and the excitement of seeing it work with the adapted monitor. The speaker also touches on the operating system, IRIX, which is tailored for SGI workstations and includes a user-friendly interface and standard Unix tools. Additionally, they mention the workstation's ability to run games like Doom and its capacity for 3D demos, showcasing the system's capabilities beyond traditional workstation tasks.

10:01

🎮 Exploring the Vintage Experience of SGI Workstations

In this final paragraph, the speaker reflects on their experience using the SGI Indigo 2, expressing enjoyment in exploring the system's capabilities and the nostalgia it brings. They mention the workstation's inclusion of various demos, such as the fish demo and the FSN file manager, which was used as a demo in the 1990s and inspired aspects of Super Mario 64's menu. The speaker also discusses the Buttonfly 3D demo, which was influential in the development of the Nintendo 64. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's intention to seek out more SGI workstations and a call to action for viewers to engage with the video content.

Keywords

💡Silicon Graphics Computer Systems (SGI)

SGI was a prominent tech company based in California, founded in 1981, known for its specialization in graphical computing. The company's first product was a terminal with advanced graphical capabilities. SGI is central to the video's theme, as it discusses the evolution of SGI's technology and its impact on the industry. The script mentions various SGI products, such as the personal Iris, Iris Crimson, and the SGI Indigo series.

💡Graphical Computing

Graphical computing refers to the use of computers to generate and manipulate visual content. In the video, this concept is integral as it discusses SGI's pioneering role in this field, particularly with their workstations that were used for creating high-quality graphics, which was instrumental in the development of movies like Jurassic Park.

💡Unix Workstations

Unix workstations are specialized computer systems that run the Unix operating system and are designed for technical or scientific applications. The video highlights several SGI Unix workstations, such as the Iris Indigo, emphasizing their high-end graphical capabilities and their role in professional markets.

💡SGI Indigo 2

The SGI Indigo 2 is a specific model of Unix workstation released by SGI in 1993. It is a sequel to the 1991 SGI Indigo and represents the high-end graphical workstations that SGI was known for. The video provides an in-depth look at the Indigo 2, including its various models like the IP22, IP26, and IP28.

💡Impact Graphics

Impact Graphics is a term used to describe SGI's advanced graphics technology. The video mentions that the higher specification Indigo 2 models, like the IP28, featured Impact Graphics, which was introduced in 1995, enhancing the workstations' graphical capabilities.

💡MYIP R10000 CPU

The MYIP R10000 CPU is a high-performance processor that was featured in the top-end SGI Indigo 2 models. The video script refers to this CPU as being 'pretty much the highest spec Indigo' could have, indicating its significance in providing the workstation with exceptional computational power.

💡GR3 Alon

The GR3 Alon is a high-end pre-Impact GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that shipped with the Indigo 2. The video explains its double stack board configuration and its capabilities, such as a 24-bit Z-buffer and a maximum output resolution of 1280 x 1024, which were impressive for the time.

💡A2 Audio Processor

The A2 Audio Processor is a component of the SGI Indigo 2 that handles audio output. The video describes it as having two combined 16-bit DACs and ADCs capable of reproducing 48 kHz audio, highlighting the workstation's advanced audio capabilities.

💡13W3 Connector

The 13W3 connector is a unique video output connector used by SGI workstations. The video discusses the challenges of using this connector with modern monitors and how the creator overcame this by using a 13W3 to VGA adapter, allowing the use of a standard VGA monitor with the Indigo 2.

💡IRIX

IRIX is the Unix-based operating system developed by SGI for their workstations. The video mentions that most SGI workstations run IRIX, which is designed to work seamlessly with SGI hardware, providing a user-friendly interface and support for advanced graphical applications.

💡Fusion (FSN)

Fusion, also known as FSN, is a 3D file manager demo that was showcased on SGI workstations. The video describes it as an innovative and visually impressive file management system, which the creator found particularly fascinating due to its use in movies like Jurassic Park.

Highlights

Silicon Graphics Computer Systems (SGI) was a California tech company founded in 1981, specializing in graphical computing.

SGI's first product was a terminal with advanced graphical capabilities.

SGI later produced Unix workstations such as the Iris, Iris Crimson, and Jurassic Park.

SGI's technology was instrumental in the creation of movies like Jurassic Park, The Abyss, Toy Story, and Shrek.

SGI provided graphics hardware for the Nintendo Ultra 64, which became the Nintendo 64.

The SGI Indigo 2 from 1993 was a high-end graphical workstation and a sequel to the 1991 SGI Indigo.

SGI machines were targeted at high-end and professional markets, not commonly found in consumer electronics stores.

The SGI Indigo 2 came in several versions, including the IP22, IP26, and IP28, with the latter featuring SGI's Impact graphics.

The IP28 model could support up to a gigabyte of RAM, which was unprecedented in 1995.

The GR3 Alon graphics subsystem featured a double stack board configuration with two different parts.

The GR3 Alon had a 24-bit Z-buffer and a maximum output resolution of 1280 x 1024 at 72 Hz.

The A2 audio processor provided high-quality audio reproduction with 48 kHz audio capabilities.

The rear I/O of the SGI Indigo 2 included various ports for networking, audio, and graphics.

The 13W3 connector required a special adapter to work with standard VGA monitors.

SGI workstations run IRIX, a Unix-based operating system optimized for SGI hardware.

The SGI Indigo 2 could run games like Doom, demonstrating its graphical prowess.

The workstation was used for ray tracing and 3D demos, showcasing its advanced graphical capabilities.

The FSN or Fusion demo was a precursor to modern file managers and inspired elements of Super Mario 64.

The Buttonfly demo was used for N64 development and inspired the menu in Super Mario 64.

The Indigo 2 came with IndieZone, a pack containing numerous demos.

Transcripts

silicon Graphics computer systems or SCI

was a California tech company founded in

1981 mainly specializing in graphical

Computing with their first product being

a terminal with pretty cool graphical

capabilities later on they started

making Unix workstations like the

personal Iris Iris Crimson Asen and

Jurassic Park and the iris Indigo just

to name a few I've always been a big fan

of sgi's a company and what their

technology brought to the table if sgi's

tech wasn't available at that time

movies like Jurassic Park the abyss Toy

Story and Shrek probably would not be

what they are today

SGI also provided the graphics hardware

for the Nintendo Ultra 64 which later

became the Nintendo 64 with SGI machines

also aiding in the development so the

system I have in front of me today is

the SGI Indigo 2 from 1993 which is

basically the sequel to the 1991 SGI

Indigo which at its time was the king of

high-end graphical workstations so all

of sgi's machines were really aimed at

the high-end and prummer markets so

these are not the type of machines you

would see at a Fries electronics or

Circuit City up against a d or a compact

these were very high-end graphical

workstations and I've been wanting one

of these for a very long time let's go

check it

out so there's actually quite a few

versions of the SGI Indigo 2 the ip22

the ip26 and the ip28 the later ones aka

the ip28 you might have actually seen

before this is the SGI Indigo to impact

10,000 impact meaning it has sgi's

impact graphics and 10,000 meaning that

has a myip r 10,000 CPU and that is

pretty much the highest spec Indigo to

that you can get the IP 28s are insane

and can hold up to a gigaby of ram which

was absolutely unheard of in 1995 when

this thing came out I would love to

track these down and make a video on it

one day there's also the challenge M

which is basically just an indigo 2 but

without a graphics option installed

basically acting like a desktop server

now an honorable mention that I honestly

cannot find any information about if

this actually was released or not is

this it appears to be a red Indigo 2 I

have no idea what it's called or if it

was ever released or if anybody even

owns one although I did see this picture

so I thought I would mention it here so

how did I end up with this Indigo 2 well

I know a friend who also knows a friend

basically if you went to the Seattle

interim computer Festival you might have

seen this exact Indigo 2 there yeah this

is that indig go to so when I bought the

system it was in Washington but

coincidentally enough I actually had a

trip to Portland planned literally the

week after I bought it Portland was

great by the way it's my home city after

all and I was just glad to be back home

so I met up with my friend who then dro

the Indigo 2 off and my eyes were glued

to the thing for a while also yes that

is my Macintosh se you can tell that I

wanted to move back to Portland because

I brought way too much for this

trip then me and my friend checked out

some uh other things and then after my

week in Portland was up I took the

Indigo 2 back to California on a train

and now we're back here the machine I

have is a teal ip22 from 1993 and this

system is equipped with a myips r4400 at

200 MHz with an r410 floating Point chip

right beside it this also has 128 MB of

RAM and mine has Express Graphics aka

the gr3 Alon the gr3 Alon is one of the

more higher-end pre-impact gpus that

shipped with the indigo 2 I say

pre-impact because impact graphics for

the Indigo 2 didn't come out till 1995

let's talk a little bit more about how

the gr3 Alon functions because honestly

it's really cool the gr3 Alon is a

double stack board configuration and

don't be confused this is not SLI these

are two different parts of the graphic

subsystem the top board known as a vb2

has all external connectors and I/O and

also has the ram Dack there are some

other components at the top of the board

that honestly I cannot find much info

about and the board at the bottom is the

gr3 and this board has the hq2 command

engine two ge7 geometry engines with

both of them actually being on a single

chip and this board also contains the

re3 raster engine the connector to the

back plane is also on this board the gr3

Alon also has a 24-bit zbuffer and has a

maximum output resolution of 1280 x 1024

at 72 HZ absolutely ridiculous stuff for

1993 this system also has the A2 audio

processor which is actually pretty neat

the A2 has two combined 16bit DAC and

adcs that are capable of reproducing

nice 48 khz audio there's also an

internal speaker that honestly sounds

pretty good now bringing it to the rear

I/O we have keyboard and mouse ports

rs422 serial auy and 10 Bas T ethernet

for networking parallel scuzzy 2 all of

our audio ins and outs and the 13 W3

connector for connecting our monitor as

well as some other ports on the graphics

card and on the topic of that 13 W3

connector this is where things get kind

of interesting so really you can't use

this system with any normal monitor it

has to support a thing called syn on

green so here's what that is usually in

component you have a red green and blue

signal now the green signal in this case

is not only in charge of well the green

signal but it also has the sync signal

for the monitor so you usually have to

use like these weird Dell flat panel

monitors or anything like that but no I

really don't want to do that I really

want to use my normal vew Sonic 17 GS2

from 1996 because I don't have the

original monitor that this thing had so

how do we do that well it's actually

easier than you might think I went ahead

and got this 13 W3 cable with

customizable dip switches so I can get

the correct pin out for the SGI

workstations there was a bunch of other

different Unix workstations that all use

13 W3 but all use different pins so

online I found this pin diagram to a

bunch of different Unix workstations and

I flipped all the switches to the SGI

one so now that we have 13 W3 converted

to normal VGA that still does not fix

our problem the SN signal is still on

the green signal so what do we do now

well that's where this little SN adapter

comes into to play this Box's entire

duty is to take the SN signal from the

green and turn it into separate snc

which most VGA monitors use and the Box

gets power through the cable now these

syn adapters are kind of hard to find I

got lucky and I found a lot of two of

them on eBay for $40 but usually by

itself this single component is like 150

bucks so not necessarily like a cheap

option but if you want to use these

systems with basically anything this is

kind of one of the only options so now

with this adapter figured out I can use

pretty much any color VGA monitor I want

with this thing which is exactly what I

wanted because to me it doesn't feel

right using a somewhat modern flat panel

on a system like this just doesn't sit

right with me so here's some footage of

me setting it up turning it on for the

first time okay powering this on for the

first time I'm hoping that my sink

adapters work

[Music]

oh dude this is the most beautiful thing

ever this is ever this is all I've ever

wanted right here most SGI workstations

run their own version of Unix called irx

IR is based off of system 5 Unix and has

BSD extensions and is basically built

from the ground up to work really nicely

with SGI workstations iris is probably

one of if not my favorite operating

system ever I just love the user

interface of the thing but of course

it's all standard Unix workstation stuff

with a pretty nice and intuitive user

interface and of course your classic X

server with your standard X tool kit and

it's got a terminal and honestly with

Unix you're probably going to end up

using this a lot and check this out it

can even play

[Music]

Doom yeah there's nothing like playing

doom on a workstation that cost as much

as a brand new RX7 from the same year or

like a 325 IS Coupe or something

absolutely crazy stuff honestly this

machine is lacking quite a lot in theame

games Department although that totally

makes sense this is a workstation it's

made for work and because of how

expensive these systems were they never

really made it to the general public so

it makes sense so what about R tracing

in the 1990s oh you people with your

fancy RTX cards look I can R Trace just

fine on my

machine it's nowhere near real time but

it's pretty cool still I also saw this

fish demo and I was playing with it for

a while

I don't even know what I'm doing with

this but I'm having fun now on to

something that a lot more people will

recognize it's a human system I know

this yeah what if I told you that that

is real this is FSN or Fusion now this

is not a fully functional file manager

this was actually made to be a demo but

I think this is one of the coolest ideas

of a file manager ever and I really want

to see exactly this ped into modern

Linux machines there's other projects

like this that attempt to mimic it but

it seems more like a fork instead of a

port I want exact this honestly seeing

this is like a dream come true for me

when I was younger watching Jurassic

Park and I saw this I thought it was the

coolest thing in the entire world and I

was obsessed for probably years FSN

actually has a bunch of settings you

could use to customize the color of

everything this was awesome to play

around with for a while and this is

buttonfly this is supposed to be a 3D

demo that you can use to also access

more 3D demos also remember when I said

that SGI workstations were used for N64

development well buttonfly was actually

the inspiration of the menu in Super

Mario 64 so probably somebody on the

development team was playing around with

buttonfly on their workstation yeah

honestly I was playing around with this

thing for a really long time so here's

some more demos

[Music]

of course there's tons more demos but

I'm not going to have enough time to

show you all of them in this video

because there is a lot of them when I

got this it actually came with a thing

called indiezone which is basically a

pack with a ton of demos also that

entire time I was using the internal

speaker it actually sounds really good I

wasn't joking welcome aboard

[Music]

so it's been a few weeks and honestly

I've been having tons of fun with this

thing and I'll be definitely looking for

some more SGI workstations to go play

around with but anyway hit like if you

liked it dislike if you hate cool old

Unix workstations or if you just hate me

I have a lot of interesting videos

coming out soon so definitely stay tuned

[Music]